“The course of history is unpredictable, as irregular as the weather, as errant as affection, nations rising and falling by whim and chance, battered by violence, corrupted by greed . . .”

“. . . seized by tyrants, raided by rogues, addled by demagogues.”  What a wonderful opening sentence! I’m eager to make my way through this 900+ page history of America. At this moment – in the first hours of autumn, in the heat of a presidential election, in a torrent of troubles — I’m looking for some perspective on who we are as Americans.  This book focuses on political ideas. Her approach is to use “microhistory” to illustrate big themes.  She has uncovered many pieces of our story that historians have previously overlooked. It’s a joy to see what she’s discovered.

Lepore, Jill. These Truths: a History of the United States. W.W.Norton & Co., 2018, p. xi.